Bhubaneswar, Aug 19 (IANS) Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for the approval of four railway multi-tracking projects with a total outlay of Rs 9,450 crore, three of which will ‘substantially benefit’ Odisha.
In a letter to Vaishnaw, Majhi said, “The approval of these projects with the total outlay of Rs 9,450 crore marks a transformative step for rail infrastructure in our State. These projects will decongest critical freight and passenger corridors and will meaningfully improve connectivity for our coastal and industrial districts.”
He said this capacity augmentation will strengthen the movement of coal, iron ore, cement, steel and food grains – commodities vital to Odisha’s economy – while also enhancing access to cherished destinations such as Bhitarkanika National Park, Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandipur Beach, the Gada Kujanga Jagannath Temple, Dhabaleswar Temple, Sarala Temple and the Buddhist heritage site of Lalitgiri.
According to the Chief Minister, these projects would provide a fresh impetus to tourism, pilgrimage and local livelihoods across the region.
“The enhanced connectivity to thousands of villages and lakhs of our citizens is a testament to the Government of India’s continued commitment to Odisha’s development under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. On behalf of the people and Government of Odisha, I extend my sincere thanks for this significant investment in our State’s rail infrastructure and future growth,” added Majhi.
Notably, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by PM Modi, on Wednesday approved four projects of the Ministry of Railways with a total cost of approximately Rs 9,450 crore. These projects include Kharagpur – Bhadrak (Ranital) 4th Line – 173 km (West Bengal and Odisha), Bhadrak – Haridaspur 4th Line – 75 km (Odisha), Gummidipundi – Gudur 3rd and 4th Line – 90 km (Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu) and Cuttack – Paradeep (Badabandha) 3rd and 4th Line – 72 km (Odisha).
The officials informed that these four projects, covering eight districts across the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 410 Kms. The proposed multi-tracking projects will enhance connectivity to approximately 6,448 villages, which have a population of about 60 lakhs.
–IANS
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